And if that lecture wasn't stern enough for us, let's turn it over to the PG's Paul Zeise, with his sarcastic "PITT IS GOING TO THE BIG TEN!!!!!!" headline in the Redshirt Diaries blog:

Enough of this silliness about Pitt making an announcement about going to the Big Ten. Enough already, please.

I know, some guy you met who is a former Pitt athlete said he heard that Pitt had told some athletes it is headed to the Big Ten.....Or better yet, some guy you know who is a coach whose players are being recruited by Pitt told you that Jamie Dixon told him that they are headed to the Big Ten.......Or I know, some booster who would really know, he said he talked to someone close to the chancellor who said it is going to be announced.....Or I know, you were at Chicago Airport and saw Steve Pederson and the Chancellor talking with Tim Curley and Jim Delany.....Or I know, all the athletes have been told already but instructed not to talk about it. ....

PLEASE, JUST STOP!!!!

I've heard it all and it never ceases to amaze me how gullible people are, of course, I shouldn't be surprised because the gullibility of people is clear just about every election day.....

I get that these guys are weary of people asking them about something that might not and probably won't happen, but rumors will never go away, nor should they. They're part of what makes fans "fans". Remember, "fan" is short for "fanatic". I wouldn't say people are gullible, I'd just say that it's an intriguing possibility that people are discussing. Some of us get carried away, some realize that it's just a rumor. End of story. It's nothing to get upset about, it's just the business of sports talk.

While we're on the topic of what's irresponsible, I think the "bloggers are all irresponsible" angle is actually a more offensive comment than a rumor about Pitt. There are all sorts of blogs. Some are reliable. Some are less reliable. People are smart, and they figure out over time which is which. If your site is wrong all the time, your credibility will shrink, as will your audience (unless people stick around just to mock you).

On a related note, it's not as if the media is 100% perfect with every one of their reports, either. In fact, I can think of several very prominent instances off the top of my head where things were not as originally reported, and by credible sources. Does that mean all media members are irresponsible? Of course not. And even credible sources can have the script flipped on them. That shouldn't mean their word is dirt for the rest of time, either. Just like it should be for bloggers, credibility should be based on a reporter's body of work.

So let's all just calm down and merely dream of what life would be like if Pitt played their games against different teams in the future. I can think of a lot bigger problems in life to get upset about, all things considered.

Pomp also tweeted last night that there was "substance" to the rumor.... not sure if I buy the indignation right now.

Maybe the move happens next week, maybe Pitt stays put. Either way, I dont understand the tone of the media toward the rumor... isn't it their job to simply report the facts? (I.E. No one "in the know" says this is true). I agree that the whole thing turned into one big game of telephone, but hey, that's the internet.

((FYI-FWIW, Kevin Durant is rocking a Steelers cap courtside at the Texas-OSU game on ESPN.))

Zeise, though kind of an ass about a lot of things, is right in trying to dispel rumors if he's found nothing after the digging he says he's done.

Pompeani, on the other hand, has absolutely no idea. The man hasn't asked a tough question since he asked his mom for the car. He's the biggest homer in a Pittsburgh media full of them, and if Pitt ever does switch conferences, he'll find out the details as you and I do because he's a haircut on television, and nothing more. The chances of him holding Pitt to the fire are 0.

This is just another example of the mainstream media panicking as they realize their roles are becoming less and less substantial. Any chance they take to scream "I told you so," they will take. And likely use all CAPS.

just seems to me that all the mainstream media didnt anticipate blogs being as big and widespread as they currently are....i smell a hint of jealousy mixed in with a pinch of fear... for their jobs that is

Rumors and what if's are fun to debate and correct me if im wrong but doesnt the nightly sports call that Pomps hosts talk about what ifs all the time...Pomps always talks about what if the nuttings spend more money on the roster and we get to the playoffs...just saying

Louis Lipps - Yeah, I remember that front page headline too, only to see it change to Tomlin 5 minutes later with no letter of retraction or apology like it’s ok for the paid media to goof but amateurs are held to a higher standard. Who cares what any of these "so called" professional sports reporters/bloggers think about rumors anyway. It's like meteorologists scoffing at a groundhog's prediction of winter. It's simply the kettle calling the pot black. Oh, and Phil predicts 6 more weeks.